Diffeeential gbab



(No Model.)

- I J. B. WEST.

DIFFERENTIAL GEAR.

N0. 296,491. Patelnbed' Apr. 8, 1884.

Y J i? /y W ilnrrnn STATES FATENT @rricn.

JONATHAN B. VEST, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

DIFFERENTiAL GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,4:91, dated April 8, 1884.

Application filed September 6, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JONATHAN B. Wnsr, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Differential Gears; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same in line a: w of Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a top view. Fig. 4 is a detail view, showing a section through the lower driving pinion and shaft.

My improvement relates to differential gears in which a set of cone-gears are employed, with which engages a set of spur-pinions attached to a shifting-lever, the arrangement being such that the pinions may be shifted from one to another of the cone-gears.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of partshereinufter described and claimed.

In the drawings, A shows a frame of any suitable construction.

Bis a set of cone-gears, consisting of gearwheeis a a a, all cast together or formed in one body, turning on a shaft, 1).

C O are two levers, which have a'free turning movement laterally on the shafts D D to be driven. Each of these levers has three spurpinions, (1 cl (2, gearing together, and the upper one engaging with any one of the cone-gears c. The hub f of the lower pinion is hollow and fits loosely on the shaft D, and is connected with the shaft by a spline, g, which fits in alon gitndinal slot, h, of theshaft, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

E is a block at the top of the frame, provided with a series of graduated notches, 'i z i, and also back of them a series of holes, 7; 7c,which are the same in number and are in line with the faces of the cone-gears.

G is a small lever, forming a latch or fastener pivoted in the top of the lever G, and having a bend which fits any one of the holes k.

The operation is as follows: Motion is imparted to the cone-gears by any suitable power, and is transmitted to the shaft D through the medium of the pinions d d d, which all gear together, and the spline g, which connects the when it is de- Q in engagement with its concgear. The notches and holes are graduated, as shown in Fig. 3, so that as the lever is shifted the upper pinion will always come into proper engagement with the gear. Therefore any desired variation in speed may be given to the shaft.

Other meansthan the catch may be used for fastening the lever in place. A greater or less number of spur-pinions may also be used.

The machine maybe used running horizontally instead of vertically.

I am aware that cone-gears with shifting pinions connected therewith have before been used to produce differential movement of a shaft. Such I do not broadly claim.

My invention differs materially from all I have ever seen in the use of a spline in the hub of the lower pinion connecting directly with the shaft, so that the lever and its set of pinions can he slid along directly on the shaft to change the gear, thereby simplifying and lessening the cost of construction. It also difiers from others in theuse of a trainof gears mounted directly upon a lever arranged upon a shaft so that all can he slid along on the shaft to engage with one or another of the cone-gears.

One great advantage of this invention is, that when desired, one of the shafts D may be used as the driving power, and the motion be transmitted to the other shaft D through the medi' um of the cone-gears above described. In such case the motion can be greatly multiplied,since the pinions on one side can be connected with the small cone-wheel and on the other side with the large cone-wheel. This is of great service in many machines, and especiallyin lathes.

Itis designed to use a scale of figures oneach side of the notches i to indicate the number of revolutions to each adjustment, and by fitting the lever to any figure the work can be predetermined at a glance.

IOC

. Having described my invention ,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a differential gear, the combination of a series of cone-gears attached together in one body, a lever turning loosely upon the shaft which is to be driven, and a set of pinions mounted on the lever, the upper one engaging with the cone-wheels, the lower one resting loosely on the shaft and connected therewith by a spline, which allows free longitudinal movementon the shaft, but imparts rotary 2. In a differential gear, the combination of the cone-gears a a a, all attached together, the

lever C turning 011 the shaft to be driven, he set of spur-pinions (1 (Z (I, mounted on the lever, the upper one engaging with the cone-gears, the lower one engaging with the shaft by a spline, and the block E, providedwith a set of graduated notches, t i 1 corresponding with the wheels of the cone-gear, the end of the le ver being retained by said notches, as shown and described, and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, in a differential gear,

of the cone-gears a a a, the lever O, the pinions (Z (Z (Z, engaging with the cone-gears at the top and with the shaft D at the bottom, the block E, provided with the graduated notches 1; M and holes 7c 7e 7e, and the catch G, attached to the lever engaging with said holes, all arranged to operate in the manner and for the purpose specified.

4. In a differential gear, the combination, with aset of conegears, of two levers turning on shafts on opposite sides of the cone-wheels, a set of pinions mounted on the shafts, the upper ones engaging with the cone-gears and the lower ones fitted 011 the shafts, and provided with splines engaging with the shafts, whereby one shaft can be driven by the other shaft through the medium of the cone-gears,

as set forth. I

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' JONATHAN B. \VEST. lVitnesses: I

R. F. Oseoon, WM. J. MoPHnRsoN. 

